Flagstaff structure



A. B. GARDELLA FLAGS TAFF S TRUCTURE July 25, 1939.

Filed June 8, 1938 FIG-2 A W RMA/ww O E .T ED.. N mm, Wem l nu A mn. YF. B L o o A v m. G. F. H 4 t G .r

Patented July 25, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT '0 FF IC E FLAGSTAFFSTRUCTURE Ohio Application June 8, 1938, .Serial No. Y212,422

4 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in flagstaff structures and moreparticularly, in flagstaff structures of the type adapted to bereleasably clamped `or secured in an upright position to Aa suitablesupport, vsuch as one of the bumper bars or the like of an automobile,for example.

The present invention has for its general object the provision of aiiagstaif structure which is simple and inexpensive in construction sothat rit can be made and sold at low cost; which is neat and attractivein appearance; which 4can be releasably clamped to an automobile bumperbar or other support in a simple and convenient manner; and which is ofsuch character that a l5 `flag or the like can be easily and quicklysecured thereto and removed therefrom, the method of securement of saidflag or the like being such that there is no liability of its accidentalescape.

Further objects of the present invention are in 20 ,part obvious and inpart will appear from the following description of two embodimentsthereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, in which Fig.1 is a side elevation ofva ilagstaff struc- 25ture embodying one form ofthe present invention, a portion of the tubular staff member of suchstructure being broken away and in section to illustrate interior partsand a Yflag or the like (fragmentarily shown) being secured thereto;

30.Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the nag-.carrying member and theornamental cap of .said flagstaif structure, the flag-receiving leg ofsaid flag-carrying member being in position to permit a flag or the liketo be applied thereto and removed 35 therefrom; Fig. 3 is a detail sideview of .the 'lower end portion of the flagstaff structure, asreleasably clamped to an automobile lbumper bar or other support, withportions of the tubular staff member broken away and in section; Fig. 4

40 is a detail cross-sectional view through the iixed clamping memberand the tubular staiT member, the view being on the line 4-4, Fig. l;Fig. 5 -is-a detail side View of the upper end portion of the flagstaifstructure, the tubular staif member 45 thereof being in section, and theflag or the like being omitted; Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view of theupper end portion of said iiagstaff structure, the View being on theline 6 6, Fig. 5; and Fig. 7 is a View similar to Fig. 2 and 'showing a50 `modified form of the present invention.

Before the present invention is described in detail, it is to beunderstood that such invention is not limited to the details ofconstruction and/or the specific arrangement of parts herein 55illustrated and/ or described, as the invention ob- (Cl. 11G-i173)viously may take other forms. It also is to be understood that thephraseology or terminology herein .employed is for the purpose ofdescription and not of limitation.

Referring first to that embodiment of the pres- 5 ent inventionillustrated in Figs. 1 to 6 inclusive, it will be noted that theflagstaff structure constituting such embodiment includes a tubularstaff member I0 of any suitable material, such as light gauge sheetmetal, said member being prol0 vided .throughout its length with arelatively narrow slot II. Adapted to be removably secured within theupper end 'portion of said tubular stati member is a flag-carryingmember I3 in the form of a simple metal rod of flexible and resilient 15character, said rod being bent intermediate its ends, as at I4, intosubstantially U shape, the two rod legs thus provided, one slightlylonger than the other, being designated bythe reference numerals I.5 andI6.

.To enable .said flag-carrying rod to be removably secured within theupper end portion of the tubular staff member I0, an ornamental cap I8for the flagstaff structure is rigidly or otherwise suitably mounted onthe free end portion of the longer leg I5 of said flag-carrying rod, thecrossdimensional size of said cap, which may be of metal or any othersuitable material, being such thatit is adapted to seat upon the upperend of said tubular stai member.

As best shown in Figs. 2 and 5, said ornamental cap I8 is provided witha depending neck portion `28 of reduced size and of generallycylindrical form, the diameter of said neck portion being such as toenable it to be inserted into the upper end portion of the tubular stamember iii, preferably with more or less of a press t. Although such apress t may be solely relied upon, if desired, to maintain such parts inassembled relationship, means is here provided for interlocking suchparts, with the result that there is no liability of accidental andundesirable disassembly thereof. .As here shown, the cap neck portion-2Gis provided with an annular groove 2| for the reception of oppositelydisposed and inwardly extending projections 22 with which the upper endportion of the tubular staff member IIJ is provided, an economicalmethod of forming said projections being to crimp them in the metal ofsaid staff member.

By providing the connecting bend I4 for the legs I 5and I5 .of theflag-carrying rod I3 with a simple crimp 2l, the shorter leg I6 is givena normal tendency to extend at an angle from the leg I5, as indicated inFig. 2. When said leg I 6 55 is in such position, the hemmed and openended edge portion 29 of a iiag or the like 3U may be quickly andconveniently slid onto and off of such leg, as Will be readilyunderstood. In this embodiment of the present invention, means isprovided for releasably securing the free end portion of suchflag-receiving leg I6 in assembled relation with the cap neck portion2U, which normally lies Within the upper end portion of the tubularstaff member I0. For such purpose, the cap neck portion 20 has dependingfrom one side thereof an arcuately shaped retaining shoulder or catch 32for the free end portion of the leg I6, and the normal tendency of saidleg to spring outwardly from the leg I is amply sufficient to releasablymaintain the free end portion of the flag-receiving leg I6 back of andin engagement with such retaining shoulder or catch, whenever such legend portion is moved to such position.

After a flag or the like 30 has been placed on the leg I5, and the freeend portion of such leg positioned behind the retaining shoulder orcatch 32 of the cap neck portion 20, the now generally parallel legs I5and I6 and such cap neck portion may be inserted into the upper endportion of the tubular stai member iii, the ilag or the like movingdownwardly along such staff member in the longitudinal slot Il thereof.As will be apparent from an examination of Fig. 6,

the slot of said staff member is amply wide enough to receive such ag orthe like but not of suiilcient width to permit the leg I6 to passtherethrough. Although such flag or the like, the legs I5 and I6 and theornamental cap I8 may be readily removed, Whenever desired, from thetubular staff member Ill, there is no liability of accidental escape ofsuch parts from said stair member, due to the interlocking connection ofthe cap neck portion 20 with such staff member.

In order to enable the lower end portion of said staff member to bereleasably clamped to an automobile bumper bar or other support 35 (seeFig. 3), with said staff member in an upright position, two clampingmembers 36 and 37 are here utilized. In this particular embodiment oithe invention, the clamping members 35 and .il are simple sheet metalmembers, with offset intermediate portions 39 of generally cylindricalshape positioned within the lower end portion of Ythe tubular staimember I0, it being possible to endwise insert such oiset intermediateportions of said clamping members into said stai member because of thelongitudinal slot II with which such staff member is provided. As shownin Figs. 3 and 4, the lower clamping member 3l' has its oisetintermediate portion 39 pinned or otherwise rigidly secured, as at 40,to the staff member 5S, but the upper clamping member 35 is free forsliding movement toward and from such xed clamping member, the offsetintermediate portion 39 of said movable clamping member moving withinsaid tubular staff member.

For the production of the desired clamping effect, the upper and movableclamping member 36 .is normally urged downwardly toward the lower andxed clamping member 31, and for such purpose, a coiled compressionspring 62 is positioned within the lower end portion of the tubularstaff member I 6, the lower end of said spring having bearing engagementwith the offset intermediate portion 39 of said movable clamping member3G, as shown in Fig. 3. The upper end of said compression spring, asshown in Fig. l, has bearing engagement with a suitable projection withwhich an intermediate portion of the staff member I0 is provided, suchas the simple punched in projection 44 here shown.

It is not essential that the free end portion of the flag-receiving legof the flag-carrying rod be maintained in assembly with the ornamentalcap on the free end portion of the other leg of said rod, as the tubularstaff member in which such rod is inserted in use of the presentstructure is sufficient to maintain the two legs of such rod insubstantially parallel relationship when within said stai member. In theembodiment of the invention illustrated in Fig. 7, therefore, thereversely bent free end portion 46 of the rod leg Ilia is not adapted tobe secured in assembly with the ornamental cap |80., and as a result,the generally cylindrical neck portion 20a of such cap is not providedwith a retaining shoulder or catch, such as the retaining shoulder orcatch 32 of the cap neck portion 20 heretofore described. When thenag-carrying rod I3a shown in Fig. 7 is inserted into the upper endportion of a tubular staff member, such as the staff member I0 shown inFigs. l to 6 inclusive, the legs |50, and I6a of such rod I3a will bemaintained by said staff member in substantially parallel relationship,the length of the leg I6a being such that it terminates below the capneck portion 20a.

Inasmuch as it is not necessary in the embodiment of the inventionillustrated in Fig. '7 that the leg Ia project through the upper end ofthe hemmed edge portion 29a of the ilag or the like 36a, said upper endof such hemmed edge portion 29a may be closed, if desired, such as bythe stitching 48. As a result, the flag or the like 30a can not slidedownwardly along the leg IBa, so that there is no liability of such iiagor the like becoming hunched up or wrinkled, as will be readilyunderstood.

Further features of the present invention will be readily apparent tothose skilled in the art to which the invention relates.

What I claim is:

1. A fiagstaff structure, comprising a tubular staff member having alongitudinally disposed slot for the extension therethrough of a ag orthe like having a hemmed edge, a generally U-shaped flag-carrying memberadapted to be inserted into said tubular staff member with the free endportions of the two legs of said nag-carrying member uppermost, and acap member adapted to be removably mounted on the upper end portion ofsaid tubular staff member and to have secured thereto the free endportion of one of the legs of the flag-carrying member, the other leg ofsaid flag-carrying member being adapted to have removably sleevedthereon the hemmed edge of a flag or the like.

2. A flagstaff structure, comprising a tubular staff member having alongitudinally disposed slot for the extension therethrough of a ilag orthe like having a hemmed edge, a generally U- shaped flag-carryingmember adapted to be inserted into said tubular stair member with thefree end portions of the two legs of said llagcarrying member uppermost,and a cap member adapted to be removably mounted on the upper endportion of said tubular staff member and to have secured thereto thefree end portions of the legs of said nag-carrying member, one of thelegs of said flag-carrying member being adapted to have removablysleeved thereon the hemmed edge of a flag or the like and the securementof the free end portion of such leg to said cap member being of readilyreleasable character.

3. A agstai structure, comprising a tubular stai member having alongitudinally disposed slot for the extension therethrough of a ilag orthe like having a hemmed edge, a generally U- shaped flag-carryingmember of resilient Character and adapted to be inserted into saidtubular staff member With the free end portions of the tWo resilientlegs of said flag-carrying member uppermost, and. a cap member adaptedto be releasably interloeked with the upper end portion of said tubularstaff member and to have secured thereto the free end portion of one ofthe legs of said flag-carrying member, the other leg of saidflag-carrying member being adapted to have removably sleeved thereon thehemmed edge oi a flag or the like.

4. A lagstaff structure, comprising a tubular staff member having alongitudinally disposed slot for the extension, therethrough of a ag orthe like having a hemmed edge, a generally U- shaped flag-carryingmember of resilient character adapted to be inserted into said tubularstai member with the free end portions of the two legs of saidnag-carrying member uppermost, and a cap member for the upper endportion of said tubular staff me Joer and having a neck portion adaptedto be removably inserted thereinto, the free end portion of one of thelegs of said nag-carrying member being secured to said cap member andthe neck portion of such cap member having a catch. shoulder for thereleasable retention of the free end portion of the other leg of saidflag-carrying member, said last mentioned leg being adapted to haveremovably sleeved thereon the hemmed edge of a flag or the like.

ALBERT B. GARDEILA.

